Extended sleep reduces pain sensitivity

“Our results suggest the importance of adequate sleep in various chronic pain conditions or in preparation for elective surgical procedures,” said Timothy Roehrs, PhD, the study’s principal investigator and lead author. “We were surprised by the magnitude of the reduction in pain sensitivity, when compared to the reduction produced by taking codeine.”

The study, appearing in the December issue of the journal SLEEP, involved 18 healthy, pain-free, sleepy volunteers. They were randomly assigned to four nights of either maintaining their habitual sleep time or extending their sleep time by spending 10 hours in bed per night. Objective daytime sleepiness was measured using the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), and pain sensitivity was assessed using a radiant heat stimulus.

Results show that the extended sleep group slept 1.8 hours more per night than the habitual sleep group. This nightly increase in sleep time during the four experimental nights was correlated with increased daytime alertness, which was associated with less pain sensitivity.

In the extended sleep group, the length of time before participants removed their finger from a radiant heat source increased by 25 percent, reflecting a reduction in pain sensitivity. The authors report that the magnitude of this increase in finger withdrawal latency is greater than the effect found in a previous study of 60 mg of codeine.

According to the authors, this is the first study to show that extended sleep in mildly, chronically sleep deprived volunteers reduces their pain sensitivity. The results, combined with data from previous research, suggest that increased pain sensitivity in sleepy individuals is the result of their underlying sleepiness.

Hi, also Cheri Mah from Stanford University did a study with athletes. Their performances increased by adding two hours of sleep. I also want to mention, that it also depends how you sleep. The US mattress industry produces products which stop you from tossing and turning – most prominently memory foam. But we toss and turn naturally. Up to 80 times per night. This movement is essential for the rejuvenation process of our bodies. It pumps back the water in our discs, brings nutrition to cartilage (has no blood vessels) etc.. I am a former athlete and invented a new type of mattress. Check it out http://www.somniumbeds.com. Sorry, but i couldn’t resist to mention my website after reading this article.

More and more studies are coming out showing how beneficial and necessary a good nights sleep is I recently read a study showing extended life span for those that got 8-9 hours sleep a night. I recently just started a new health and wellness program at http://start24day.com and I found that just eating right, exercise and being involved in a wellness program has increased the time and quality of sleep Im getting.

Hello. This study reinforces the body’s need for sleep. A good night’s sleep will prepare your body for surgery, repair the body’s wounds, allow for recharging your body’s energy “battery” and help manage your chronic pain. A good educational site for people suffering with chronic pain is http://www.livinginpain.org/ Good luck in controlling your pain.